I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Mortal End from the author and NetGalley! 🫶

“What if Vampires had a soul?” 🧛🧛‍♀️

Mortal End is simply a masterpiece! 🥹🖤 My words to describe how I feel about this book will not serve it justice because it is truly such a beautiful, evocative, and incredible story that is going to remain forever in my heart! 💕 I have never read anything like this in my life and I loved everything about it. The world-building and character development is masterclass level. I felt so deeply for Phenice as I was reading this and I was able to feel all of the emotions and the pain that she was going through and it brought me through such a rollercoaster of emotions. This story went so far as to make me ugly cry and have my heart broken multiple times throughout my reading experience! 😭💔

I highlighted so many quotes while reading this story because Maddie Rose Andry’s writing style gave me goosebumps. The combo of vampires, fated mates, gods/goddesses, ancient curses, mystery, slow burn romance, and the power of writing and art have created this beautiful piece of literature that I will be recommending to everyone I know! ❤️

The whole time I was reading felt like I was peeling a potato because there was so much mystery that had me captivated and I just wanted to know everything. Lastly, don’t even get me started with that ending because it made me go through all of the emotions and I’m still processing what happened! 😱😱😱😱😱

Thank you so much Maddie Rose Andry for writing this beautiful and incredible story that is unlike anything I have ever read. You are officially an autobuy author for me and I can’t wait to read all of your future works. If you love vampires, demons, gods/goddesses, psychology, who hurt you, fated mates, star crossed lovers, chosen one, morally grey characters, ancient curse, mental health rep, and slow burn be sure to pick it up and read because it’s an absolute must-read! 🫶

I really wanted to love this, as the premise sounded right up my alley. I really enjoyed the intro to the book, but found myself lost in subsequent chapters. I couldn’t keep track of the timeline, and found the jumps to be a bit confusing.

This is a fantastic debut novel that captivated me with the descriptive world building, the well developed characters and the intense emotions throughout the story. I loved how it was unique, a real world with fantasy elements, past lives with diverse backgrounds and a PTSD rep that hit me in all the feels.
I can't wait to see how the story continues!

I’d like to thank NetGalley for this ARC. The idea of this book seemed so promising and the first part of the book captured my attention, however the second half fell flat. In this book you will have, Egyptian lore, vampires, mystical powers, fate and more.

The first chapter started off very strong. We learn of the trauma of the Egyptian Queen who only wanted a family. Her heart breaking tale foreshadows into what’ll become later on in the book. Then we meet Phenice, a psychologist who struggles with her own PTSD trauma from her childhood, and her best friend Alina, fellow psychology student. Phenice struggles with her one patient Emil, where she feels too strongly towards him and needs to cut ties being his psychologist. However, as fate likes to play it, their lives will forever be entwined.

I really enjoyed the concept of the book, however it just was not for me. The first few chapters were great, then I began to be immensely confused with the start of subsequent chapters. I wish there were notes of past, present, or future in the chapter titles. I think having more of a guide as to what time we’re reading would have been more helpful. I also did not believe in Phenice when her transition phase happened, and she was talking of how confident she was but yet kept bringing up her PTSD over and over and over again. She second guessed every single decision made and I felt Alina was more suited to be the powerful one than Phenice ever was. I ended up skimming the end of the book because I struggled to stay interested in it. The ending of the book also left me a bit confused based on what the beginning of the book stated - it didn’t seem to match up at all based on talk of how souls were bonded. This book is left on a cliffhanger, but I don’t believe I will continue on to book two.

*Mortal End* by Maddie Rose Andry is a captivating dark romance and supernatural tale. Dr. Phenice Jones's life unravels, revealing ancient curses, haunting memories, and forbidden love. Her transformation from mortal to vampire is a thrilling journey through gods, demons, and her fated soulmate, blending vivid imagery with emotional depth.

I just finished reading as let’s just say wow. This book is different than all my other books I’ve read and I’m so glad I read it. I was entertained yet confused. I would sit there phone in had coffee in the other learning and connecting with the characters. I was not prepared for the end it was definitely worth the read.

This book was a little too real at the beginning, which I loved. You really get into the FMC's head and see her mental health spiral, especially with the nightmares bleeding into her reality. It was a lot and I could not put it down because of it. About halfway through though, the story started to draw out and slow for me, but that could just be a me thing. I enjoyed the story and the characters overall though, it was an interesting read.

“ By ‘tiny’ I was implying you are the type of woman a man could toss around and do the most devious and delicious things to.”

I’m still reeling from reading this book. What an emotional ride! Maddie takes you through all the feels with her incredible writing. Of all the books I’ve read, this one has truly wrecked my heart like no other. I experienced physical reactions to this story—it's that powerful. It tore me apart and then put me back together.
Phenice's journey through trauma, heartache, violence, change, and healing is a testament to Maddie's skill. Despite not having this kind of trauma in my life, I felt every moment with Phenice, thanks to the immersive storytelling. The constant state of fear I felt while reading this book, fearing the rug would be pulled out from under me, was intense yet compelling. It’s so good.
This is a captivating tale of self-discovery, empathy, perseverance, and remaining true to oneself and one's convictions. And let's not forget the really hot guys and spicy romance that add to the allure. The characters are incredibly well-developed, each with their own unique backstories that shape their identities. Maddie's world-building is so immersive that you feel as though you're a part of the story.
Phenice and Emil's relationship is an epic love story that transcends time. Their relationship develops naturally, with a perfect blend of tension, banter, and unforgettable moments. I appreciate how Emil wants to protect Phenice without smothering her.
Maddie's take on vampires is particularly refreshing, especially the exploration of whether they have souls. The fact that all the vampires have distinct personalities and motivations adds a new dimension to the narrative, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

“What if Vampires had a soul?”

This book is filled with emotional depth, descriptive world building, a unique take on vampires, and well-developed characters. I was enraptured reading about Dr. Phenice and her past life revelations, and I’m a sucker for an emotional rollercoaster of a story. I have a degree in psychology and teach it at a high school level, so I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the journey of trauma and healing from a therapists POV. I felt all the feels throughout this book, and can’t wait to read more!

ℝ𝔼𝔸𝔻 𝕀𝔽 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼:
✨ Gothic Romance Turned Urban Fantasy
✨ Star-Crossed Lovers
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Tragic Backstory
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Morally Gray
✨ Ancient Curse
✨ Who Hurt You?

𝔽𝔸𝕍𝕆ℝ𝕀𝕋𝔼 ℚ𝕌𝕆𝕋𝔼𝕊:
“I wanted to be a carefree optimist. I wanted love, and he made me want to risk everything to have it. This morning he had made me feel like the Grinch whose heart had grown three sizes listening to his love and passion for this woman. I longed to be loved the way he loved her.”

“Maybe he and I were star-crossed lovers, soulmates designed only to find each other briefly, to love fiercely, then be torn apart, again and again. It seemed cruel but not as cruel as never loving at all.”

The story kept me reading at first because I really enjoyed the “soul mate” idea and you put vampire lore in? Of course I’ll be hooked… The main characters were likeable but I would have liked them to be more real and not stereotyped (writing every few paragraphes about “my PTSD symptoms are kicking in” was a major turn off for me at least). Also, I would have enjoyed more world building, but maybe that remains to be done in the following books. Nevertheless I really enjoyed it and will read the second book in the series. 3.5 stars read for me.

An Opera of Vampires is the subtitle of the book, Mortal End. It foreshadows a world that the young psychiatrist, Dr. Phenice Jones is thrust into without knowledge or warning. Author Maddie Rose Andry creates a world much like our own but with the secret existence of vampires. Her vampires fit seamlessly, they may walk in sunlight and function as parts of human society, though they have a secret network and castes of their own. Her FMC and heroine is strong and smart, having overcome, but still triggered by her violent past. Phenice’s inner voice describing her PTSD episodes is well done, and her career as a psychiatrist is well-chosen for the story.

The most interesting things for me about vampire-related stories are the historical fiction aspects. Vampires are frozen in the time in which they were created. They often bring ancient, esoteric knowledge. She has chosen her characters from interesting times in history, including ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Sparta, and the Crusades. The name Phenice is related to the word “phoenix,” and foreshadows the character’s rebirth as a vampire with unique skills. As she grows stronger, her ability to time travel through spontaneous visions becomes apparent, revealing a beautiful story of reincarnated soulmates. The book is explosive and very dark at times. I applaud the author for her trigger warnings.

My only critique is the dialogue. As a doctor of psychiatry, I would expect Phenice to speak less casually, specifically the ubiquitous cursing, which I found very distracting. Using it once would be surprising and noteworthy, but most of her dialogue includes some variation of “Holy F’in Sh!t” as her primary reaction. For the most part, the other characters mirror this modern speech pattern. I found it was confusing for an ancient character or a vampire to speak this way and wanted more differentiation/complexity/character development. I want to credit that this novel was written in 2006. I would expect the second novel to be different for this reason alone. Also, because we will likely see Phenice changing, this may be a device to show her development.

Mortal End is an excellent debut novel with interesting characters, encompassing many historic time periods. I will definitely look forward to the second installment and would happily repeat this ARC experience. Thank you for the opportunity.

This is a difficult one for me. I really wanted to love it but somewhere along the way I got lost.

I loved the vampire/divine lore. The first half of the book was drawing me in with only minor irritation at how "academic" some of the PTSD was explained and talked about. It kinda fits Phenice though.

Somewhere I lost the emotional connection to Phenice and to what happens at the end. Maybe it is the narration in itself - I can´t really explain it. So based my very subjective issue - I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a different approach to vampire/divine lore!

My personal rating / short version:

DNF ⭐
Meh ⭐⭐
Kinda liked it, but also not ⭐⭐⭐
Liked it and would recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved it! Highly recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Mortal End* by Maddie Rose Andry is an intense and captivating blend of dark romance, supernatural intrigue, and emotional depth. Dr. Phenice Jones is a fascinating protagonist whose carefully controlled life unravels as she’s thrust into a world of ancient curses, haunting memories, and forbidden love.

The story masterfully weaves together her journey of transformation—from mortal to vampire—and her struggle to confront a deeply buried past. Phenice’s encounters with gods, demons, and her fated soulmate are both thrilling and heart-wrenching, pulling you into a world where even immortality comes at a cost. With vivid imagery, a compelling romance, and stakes that feel truly apocalyptic, *Mortal End* is perfect for fans of dark fantasy and romantasy. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you breathless and aching for more.

3/5 stars.

This was a quick and easy read, but not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb. I enjoyed reading this, but had hoped it was a bit spicier and the person from the nightmares were a bit more prominent throughout the book. I also liked the fact that this book had fated mates/soulmates through many different lives.

The PTSD rep was well thought out and added depth to the character. Also the realistic change into vampire was another thing I appreciated a lot. I also hoped that the other characters other than fmc were a bit more fleshed out.

Usually I don't read urban fantasy, but in this it fitted very well and didn't bother me at all.

Can't wait to read the next one in the future.

This was an interesting book for sure! I liked the setting of the book a lot and how they showed that a therapist was handling ptsd and in general her own trauma. I liked that it was fast paced and the story was capturing.

I love how real the character felt with all her flaws and reactions. I really feel like the characters were well developed and they each had their own voice. It also has so many vibes from different genres all mixed into a fantasy book!

I did feel like the fast pace I was enjoying slowed down a bit in the second half of the book and I slightly missed that when we were reaching towards the cliffhanger this book gave us. With that said I absolutely cant wait to read book 2!

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Mortal End is a ride like no other. From the sands of Egypt, to the mysteries of Greece, this vampire story takes readers on a journey that is full of fantasy, romance, and deeper questions.

The premise absolutely intrigued me when I read the synopsis.
-Egypt: Tick
-Vampires: Double Tick
-Romeo and Juliet meets Braveheart: Triple Tick
-Greece: Ok, Tick

Unfortunately for me, I found the incorporation of all of these things to be a mish mash of myths and legends that were vying for all the attention. I was pulled in by the amazing creation story of Sadeh, and was intrigued by the introduction to Phenice.

When we were introduced to the fates and soulmates, it started to lose me. Adding to that, the complexity of Phenice’s mental health, I didn’t quite know which story I was reading.
I also found the acceptance of vampires (Alina), the sudden knowing of how to control her new elemental powers, and the fast turnaround from Emil to be quite unrealistic. Unfortunately this was a DNF at 53% (Chapter 22).

While this wasn’t for me, I can recognise and see the potential for this story. If it was more focused, I could see myself reading it and enjoying it. However, with so many different focus points, I found this hard to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pleiades Publishing for the Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book had me captivated from page one!
Lot's of mystery, slow building magic and the tension is strong! It's like a "real life" story, but in a very interesting magical world. Or said in other words: this is'nt a fantasy world, but a normal world with fantasy elements.
Defently a dark and spicy romantasy with vampires, gods and a fate you can't escape,

This book will take you upon a journey that will show you love at its most beautiful, a pain you will hate to endure but will get through. The story building is perfect. The characters are perfectly detailed, not overly done. I loved every second. torn apart soulmates, drastic life changes, and an amazing, beautiful, badass woman who is everything.

Mortal End is an exceptional debut novel that weaves together a dark and enthralling tale of vampires and romance. From the very first page, I was captivated by the vivid world-building and the way the author seamlessly combines supernatural intrigue with deeply emotional connections.

The vampires are refreshingly complex, each with unique personalities and motives that set them apart from typical portrayals. The romance is electric, full of tension and heart-stopping moments that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable, and their development feels natural, pulling you deeper into their story with every twist and turn.

For a debut, the writing is remarkably polished, with a perfect balance of action, suspense, and heartfelt emotion. Fans of vampire lore and slow-burn romance will be absolutely hooked. Mortal End is not just a book—it’s an experience. I can't wait to see what this author creates next!

DNF

Mortal End just wasn’t for me but not every book is going to connect with every reader. My opinion is my own, and I’d never want it to deter someone from giving it a shot—check it out for yourself! You might love it! 📚✨

Thank you Maddie Rose Andry and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review⭐️